BIKEFRIZ

Think polo with bikes instead of horses. No, scratch that. Think rugby, and toss a few bicycles into the scrum. Or, maybe most accurately, it is ultimate frisbee played from the perch of a mountain bike. Whatever it is, "BikeFriz" is, more or less, organized chaos on two wheels.

A pedal-powered co-ed field game, BikeFriz is played by hurling a frisbee at top speeds on two wheels. Teams--from two on two, to five on five--pass the frisbee back and forth, all the while keeping their feet off the ground and on the pedals. Because agility, maneuverability and jackrabbit moves are essential, mountain bikes or BMX are the preferred steeds in this knuckle-and-sprocket game.

To score, every player on the team must make at least one reception during a single possession. If an interception occurs during play, possession begins all over. When a point is scored, teams square off on opposing sides, and kick off (read: pass) to the opposing team.

"Anyone and everyone" can play BikeFriz, says 24 year-old pedal & pass athlete, Kristin, who started playing the fast-paced sport last fall. "It's a blast," she assures.

According to Kristin, the number of players determines game speed. "Five against five is ideal, it makes it more challenging to get the friz' to all team members. If there are fewer folks playing it gets passed around so fast that one team has scored before the other sees where the friz is!"

"I think the hardest part of the game is getting the guts to get into the pack and pick up the friz. I'm working on that! So watch out! Just come try it! It's a good time and it's usually followed by good beer!" JD

BikeFriz games are open to all and played Thursdays & Sundays at 6 pm until Halloween. Woodstock Park, SE 46th & Steele. For more info, email blindstaggers@yahoo.com.